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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23392879">Crushing Pressure</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/2scoopsrice/pseuds/2scoopsrice'>2scoopsrice</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>None - Fandom, Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abyss - Freeform, Alien Biology, Alien Planet, Aliens, Animal Attack, Cross-Posted on deviantArt, Fear, Fear of Death, Fights, Gen, Monsters, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Sea Monsters, Sharks, Submarines, Survival, Underwater, almonds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:09:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,215</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23392879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/2scoopsrice/pseuds/2scoopsrice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(Originally written 3/6/20-3/30/20)</p><p>A force of elite protecters defend a deep-sea mining town from aquatic threats. But an operator is put in a stressful situation: Will they be crushed by the pressure?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Yere/Rayya</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Crushing Pressure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hmmm this took a while again<br/>I'm pretty proud of this though, even though it kind of fizzles out near the end. <br/>I might do more with these characters again, but probably not. I'm thinking about doing something with the cat person from the argument thing.<br/>The green stuff is just the toxin leaking out, I've decided.<br/>I know nothing of biology or deep-sea life. Clearly.</p><p>See you in another month!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The planet Yuccata is covered in water, though most of the surface is frozen over; one would think nothing substantial could survive in these frigid conditions, but it’s full of life: microscopic organisms litter the water and seafloor; small aquatic creatures swarm in large schools and consume whatever they can find. Of course, Lochians also call this planet home: terrifyingly savage and bestial in appearance, but capable of kindness and hospitality like anybody else. Life has seemed to forgo filling out small, windswept islands in favor of incredible aquatic biodiversity. All that inhabit the land are small, tenacious plants, and large coastal Lochian settlements. In the deeper recesses of the sea, there also lurks larger creatures. Terrifying, savage, brutal, and not nearly as kind. They get hungry, too.</p><p>Life truly thrives near the equator, though. The strip of ocean harbors most Lochian settlements, and large quantities of greenery. It’s not tropical, but at least it isn’t freezing. Algae farms are plentiful, and many aquaculture sites feed the majority of the vast but scattered population of the planet. In addition to the cities above the water, awe-inspiring undersea cities dot the whole planet, some under the ice, some under the sun, some in the shallows and some in the depths of the ocean. In the older days, wildlife was a constant threat, especially deeper down. And no matter how good your vision, it’s pitch black, so until advancements were made that let them combat these problems, a city within the abyss was nearly impossible.   </p><p>The ‘mining’ town of Caxeya is lonely, surrounded by pitch black on all sides, and lit only by sparse algae lamps. Shipments of food and other amenities are dropped from the surface and descend into a landing zone, guided by a cable. A good chunk of the population work in harvesting resources from nearby hydrothermal vents, a new industry and necessary for expansion up top. Those that don’t work in vent mining work in the maintenance of the town, some in charge of shipments, maintenance of algae lamps, and a startling chunk working in constant defense from persistent deep-sea predators. Making their homes in the depths, usually, such a sparse environment would inhibit their growth, but incredible efficiency and occasional supplements from the surface let them dominate the trenches of Yuccata.  </p><p>Some question the need for a defense force, stating that they could simply install an electric fence. But the vigilant watchers provide an effective service, one much cheaper and less bulky than a fence would provide. Replacing these would additionally put many out of a job. They view their job as a community service and enjoy high levels of prestige and gratitude from other residents. Many residents remember times before the sentinels arrived, most very unfondly, cementing their role and bringing respect toward their profession. They patrol the dark corners of the town in quick, silent, agile, and nearly undetectable personal submersibles, armed with radios, lights, cup holders, and an advanced descendent of the harpoon gun designed to pierce the thick carapace of the hunters. Not designed to kill, just to deter, and filled with a strong biotoxin extracted from certain algae that sting enough to cause a reaction in the titanic beasts. As an added bonus, it’s fitted with a tracker that is embedded deep into the flesh upon entry. Data recorded shows that though there are obviously not many individuals in an area at one time, they have an incredible migratory radius and travel significant distances within their life. </p><p>She got a call from one of her fellow operators. “Wraith at 330 40. Might need help, this one’s fast.” They weren’t actually called wraiths, they just called them that because it was easier and also it sounded way cooler. Nobody would admit the last part, though. For thousands of years, they were the scourge of towns around the whole planet. Entire armies fought bravely to defend their towns and wept when they couldn’t. Now, in the era of mechanical vehicles, they were a mere nuisance. Weapons larger than their operators, submersibles faster moving than any living creature, cup holders that could hold 64-ounce cups, and more helped them defend their homes. </p><p>She radioed her response. “I’ll be there in a bit. I was there recently, wonder how I missed it.” Heavy breathing. “Kinda ominous.” “…Yeah. You good?” “Everything’s cool. Don’t worry. …But I do need help.” Several minutes passed with no response, while she drove through the dark ocean, taking sips of her (tightly sealed) drink. Arriving upon the location, her headlights focused on a large, dark gray shape within the water. It whirled around and she could see it’s four deep green, glassy eyes lock on to her. They lacked pupils, but their intensity conveyed a deep sophistication and malice.</p><p> “So, uh, you having trouble with this guy?” She got her bearings and moved back. “Yeah. I’ve landed a few hits on this fella, but the shots keep bouncing off, and I’m missing the rest of them.” “Some of em’ have really strong armor up top. God knows why they need it, but you gotta head underneath em. Make sure you go around back, the mouth isn’t something you wanna fuck with even if you’re confident you can get out of the way. And they’re fast, too. Just cause they’re big doesn’t mean they can’t bite your ass. Don’t let your guard down.” “Yeah, thanks, this isn’t my first rodeo.” “Really?” “…It’s my second.” “Got it.” </p><p>They swam around the beast in circles, one trying to distract and the other trying to get underneath. “Really though, good job calling for help when you needed. More than one person’s been eaten by these guys because they thought they could take it. And like 90 percent of us have nothing to do most of the time, so there should always be somebody free.” He let out a cry of panic as the sea monster lunged at him, giving him a view of their jagged, toothy mouth, crowned with short mandibles, all pointed downward into the mouth. He dropped into reverse and ascended to above. “God, who knew these almond-shaped motherfuckers could be so fast!” “All this stuff you’re saying was included in the training, were you just like, not paying attention?” She smirked. He sighed. “Yeah, pretty much.” </p><p>“Since you ignored everything you shouldn’t have, remember that we aren’t trying to maim these things, so don’t go shooting it in the eye or mouth or whatever.” “You couldn’t pay me to get that close.” She shot near the face, but purposefully missing the eyes, drawing its attention. “Why?” “Cause it’s a part of nature, dude. You can’t just kill something like that. Anyway, get under. We’re pumping this bitch full with poison.” They both grinned, and he aligned his shot. Suddenly, a screeching voice overwhelmed his comms. “MOVE!” BEHIND YOU!” He shot instinctively, missing his mark due to the panic but still hitting the underside. Immediately he heard a terrible crunching sound and the rending of metal. He saw in his mirrors four glassy eyes, and his second glimpse of toothy maw that night. </p><p>The entire backside of his vehicle including propulsion was destroyed in one snap of their jaws. His harpoon reeled back in as the vengeful beast continued chomping his vessel. She watched on in terror, her smug expression replaced with one of fear and dread. “Fuck, fuck, fuck… two of them… This has never happened….” “What the fuck do I do?!” She tried to steel herself, watching their first target flail in pain and flee. She quickly shot her harpoon at what was left of her new partner’s vehicle, careful to avoid the cabin. It pierced the metal and was drawn taut while she reversed her own sub. The Wraith either didn’t notice or was more occupied, swallowing jagged pieces of metal. That would likely cause problems for it later down the line, but it didn’t possess the thinking capacity to comprehend that. </p><p>Her sub sputtered pathetically, now in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war with the titanic creature. It clearly wasn’t working, much to her horror. Her heart was pounding and chills were going through her whole body. “Alright, I got an idea. I’m gonna shoot it in the eye, and you’re gonna swim and grab and we can bounce. Okay? You understand?” He gulped and responded affirmatively. Remarkably, he was calmer than she was: He was breathing heavily, and stayed silent, contemplating his next move. She repositioned her harpoon and aimed it at one of the creature's foggy eyes. </p><p>With a climactic shout, she slammed her fist onto the trigger, and the harpoon let loose and hit its mark dead-on. She shivered. “Still got it…” The creature shimmered, it’s armor reflecting the bright headlamp. It opened its mouth and whipped the mangled wreckage in the opposite direction. Milky white fluid bled from the eye, followed by a green paste leaking into the water. She reeled the harpoon in. She located her companion and began to drive over. He let the compartment fill with water and grabbed the portable radio before torpedoing into the icy black water. Lochians are incredibly strong swimmers, descending from an aquatic predator themselves. </p><p>He ascended out of the way of the creature, who was spasming in rage and began diving toward his partner’s sub at incredible speeds. He felt the cold water rush over his skin as he threw his huge arms forward. He got underneath and grabbed on to a cavity near the harpoon. The vehicle could easily carry ten of them, but only had space inside the cabin for one. Once they confirmed he was in place, she rotated, and they began fleeing away from both enraged predators. “I think we just made it pissed… it’s got three eyes left.” He thought to himself. True enough, when he turned his head, he spotted his own vessel sinking to the ocean floor and one very, very angry almond accelerating towards them.  </p><p>Turbulent water began flowing around him as the sub began to accelerate itself. Yep, it was definitely getting closer. All he could hope as he stared at the gruesome teeth of the Wraith was that his companion could go faster than that thing. He gritted his own (relatively) gargantuan teeth and closed his eyes, and held on with a wrought-iron grip. The left-most eye continued bleeding white fluid. A sudden lurch caused his grip to tighten: the vehicle began to rise to the surface sharply. He saw the reason: their previous target lay out cold. He doubted it would come after them, considering it was bricked, but he definitely didn’t want to get any closer to it. Their pursuer also changed course, focusing on their target. “God, you would think it would fuck off by now…” </p><p>They could see the surface. It was a new moon, so it was as dark as the abyss. As they continued rising toward the surface, they wondered how much longer it could chase them. They had been modified to be able to withstand the depths, but the naturally deep-sea creature’s constitution was at risk the farther it went. It was chasing them with the same fervor it had had before, but they could both tell that it was in pain. Him from the sounds it was making, and she from its movements in her mirror. </p><p>Before they could begin to slow down, they breached the surface. The speed they were going was incredible, and they continued rising into the air. They continued in an arch, hitting the water some distance away with a loud splash. They remained still. The Wraith didn’t realize how fast it was going either and rose above them in a dramatic crescendo. If there was any light, they were sure there would be a silhouette above them. There was a huge crash of waves, and they felt the sub rocking. It turned to them, and for a few tense moments, it stared directly through the cabin, and at the figure inside. Then, it let out a wail of pain and began to descend back into the deep. </p><p>She let out a deep sigh of relief and radioed her coordinates to other members of the force. She rose to the surface, and he climbed on top of the sub and laid on it. She stretched out, and reclined in her chair, and took a sip of her drink. They unwound for a good amount of time until another operator confirmed the Wraith had been tagged. It wasn’t a very hard mark, missing one eye, a bunch of jagged metal in the belly, and the lasting effects of decompression. Then they got back into position and began descending back towards Caxeya. </p><p>“Oh, hey! Haven’t seen you in a little bit.” She walked into the break room and saw her companion sitting at the table. “Yeah, we both took like, a week off.” “That was pretty stressful, though. Is it always like that?” “Hah, no. That’s the first time that’s ever happened. I’m glad you couldn’t see my face, I was freaking the fuck out. Anyway, what do you think happened to that thing?” “Uh, probably died, right? Fella ate a bunch of metal. And you shot it in the eye. And the decompression probably didn’t feel too great either…” They winced. “But, I would much rather that thing dies than me.” They stared at each other, and she sat down. “Thanks, by the way. Don’t think I said that yet.” “All good. Usually, I’d get disciplined for doing something like that, but I’m glad our boss understood.” “Yeah, I don’t know if it knew I was in there or just wanted to take it’s anger out. What’s your name, anyway?” “Uh, Rayya.” “Cool. I’m Yere.”</p><p>Yere put his arms behind his head. “You know, I think I might take a refresher… Though I think I got a pretty good education last week.” “Good idea, even considering recent events it’s always a good idea. I do one every few months, can’t be too careful.” “Yeah, clearly. So, you’re sure that’s… never happened before? It makes sense it’s uncommon, but, weirdly, that’s the first time it’s *ever* happened.” “Yeah, checked with a few people and some records. Maybe they’re getting smarter, or something.” “Doubt it… nothing smart chomps down metal… except maybe those guys from Lithra II…” They both chuckled. “Ha, from what I’ve seen, maybe not.” </p><p>“So, are they supposed to get knocked to sleep like that? I thought it just drove them away.” “Not supposed to, usually doesn’t. And I’m sure when it woke up it left all the same. Huh. Guess it acts as a tranq, too.” “Speaking of eyes, what was that green shit? The white stuff is just blood, I guess. But that nasty green stuff didn’t seem normal.” She looked at him with confusion. “What green stuff? I didn’t see anything.” “There was like, a dark green paste coming out.” “That’s odd… I was probably just out of it and didn’t see it. If it was dark green, I probably couldn’t see it very well, since it blends in.“ “Yeah, maybe…”</p><p>“How long you been working here, anyway? You don’t look too old, and you sure acted like a veteran down there.” “Uh, like, 5 years? I just had the luck to get mentored by someone a whole lot better than me. They’re retired now, but they’re still alive… I think.” “Wow, cool! Really?” “Yeah! taught me a bunch of stuff. Though, I had to learn a few things the hard way… But I’m not dead, am I?” “Huh, I guess not. Think you could do the same for me?” “Heh, I’m not good enough for that… I panicked hard, anyway. You just didn’t see me.” “Well, I’m still sitting here, aren’t I?” “Huh, I guess you are.” </p><p>One week later, they were both back on patrol, and by chance were both engaged with another Wraith. Thankfully, though, things were going a lot better than last time. Rayya’s was dispatched in about 5 minutes, quick and clean. Yere was having a bit harder time. “Hey uh, Wraith at 420 690. I think I have this one handled, but just in case… You know, better safe than sorry.” He frequently checked his mirrors and stayed far away from the front end of the creature. He radioed another operator who was currently patrolling. “Hey, so, why do we constantly have to do this anyway? They don’t seem like they’re geniuses, or whatever, but you would think after constantly getting shot they would kinda learn to stay away, yeah?” He responded quickly. “Hey, aren’t you dealing with one right now? Should you really be talking to me?” “Ugh, don’t worry. I got it, and someone else said they were on the way if I don’t.” “Sure, dude. I guess they’re just really persistent? Or maybe this is just a good feeding ground for them even though it’s risky.” He looked outside of his cabin. The cold, silent silt sat motionless on the ocean floor. He couldn’t see a single sign of life. “Uh, doesn’t really look like it from where I am.” “Yeah, exactly.” </p><p>Once he spotted an opportunity, he rose above the creature (from a safe distance,) and quickly went underneath to its bare white carapace. The creature was disoriented by the metal sub’s movement and lay motionless. He lined up his shot and hit the button with the claw of his pointer finger. It struck true, and the creature snapped out of its daze, and let out a screech of pain and began moving in the opposite direction. As his harpoon reeled in, he took a sip of his drink and radioed his backup. “Uh, I got it. No need to come.” “Nice work! You’re sure learning pretty quick, huh?” “Yeah, I guess. Don’t really want a repeat of what happened a few weeks ago.”</p><p> Of course, the whole company was aware of what had happened to them two weeks ago; Operators were assigned to pairs whenever possible and instructed to radio for help at any opportunity. Everybody was wary, and the next few days were of uneasy silence. Encountering a Wraith only happened every few days on average, and usually for only one person. Encountering two at once was enough to put the whole force on edge. Both of them were awarded for their bravery and were voided of any usual punishments for injuring the animal in the way they did. They never found out whether the Wraith that attacked them made it out alive. Their job was to get rid of them, and anything after that wasn’t their problem. And anyway, even if it did die, it would be eaten by other Wraiths, and countless microorganisms, so nothing would be going to waste. </p><p>Rayya and Yere became good friends, frequently recounting their marks to each other, and discussing their interests. They frequently hang out, and rumors have spread that their relationship has become more than friendly. A favorite of his to tell was a Wraith encounter in which he decided to try something new and flipped his sub-upside-down to confuse the creature. Unfortunately, he hadn’t yet learned why a majority of the force bought lids.</p><p>“MY DRINK!”</p>
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